


Promises We Can't Keep

by itbepansam



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Late Night Conversations, M/M, but enough, not that much angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-07
Updated: 2017-11-07
Packaged: 2019-01-30 14:21:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12655260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itbepansam/pseuds/itbepansam
Summary: Opening his eyes slowly, he peered up at the sleeping emperor. He never would have imagined he would find love and care this deep in space, and yet that's what had happened when he became the Champion and had made a name for himself. The most surprising part was it being from Emperor Zarkon himself. But it was also unsafe.





	Promises We Can't Keep

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to Arka bc he's always the reason I ship new things.

The study rumbles than came from the other should have been enough to comfort him back to sleep. But this time they weren't. He was too uneasy, too stressed. He wasn't safe and his body wouldn't let him sleep because of it. 

Opening his eyes slowly, he peered up at the sleeping emperor. He never would have imagined he would find love and care this deep in space, and yet that's what had happened when he became the Champion and had made a name for himself. The most surprising part was it being from Emperor Zarkon himself. But it was also unsafe. 

After learning that Haggar was Zarkon’s wife, Shiro felt uneasy to be at Zarkon’s side. He felt as though at any moment, someone was going to come in and rip him from his beloved’s side. He had come to care for the Emperor due to his charming and kind nature. He may be a ruthless leader sometimes, but other times he made Shiro’s knees weak with how kind and loving he was. It was fascinating to him and he found himself getting too close sometimes, he thought. 

He knew what they were doing wasn't right, especially because he was still married. But that seemed only to make Shiro more infatuated with their relationship. He had always been the rebellious sort, and this just made him ten times moreso. 

He sat up in the bed, kicking his legs over the side. He grabbed his fancy robe that Zarkon had gotten him and wrapped him around himself so his bare body wouldn't be cold as he walked across the room to the large window that overlooked a planet and its three moons. It was breathtaking. These were the sights Shiro had wished to see when he first signed up for the Garrison. 

He pressed his head on the cool glass, allowing himself this moment of peace. Then he heard movement behind him and didn't need to look back to see Zarkon standing behind him, towering over him with his massive size. It was both intimidating and invigorating for Shiro. 

“Are you alright  _ Craili _ ?” A name that translated loosely to beloved. 

“Yeah, I'm fine. Couldn't sleep is all. Wanted to watch the stars.” 

Zarkon wrapped his arms around Shiro’s chest allowing Shiro to rest his head against Zarkon’s forearm. 

“You haven't slept well these past few moons.”

Shiro didn't answer. He wasn't wrong. He hadn't been sleeping well. 

“Is it Haggar?” His voice was so soft, almost scared. 

“I just fear for our future. I feel like at every turn I need to be careful or else she'll kill me.”

“Nothing will happen to you. I will make s-”

“Do not make a promise you can't keep.” Shiro pulled away from him, turning so his back was to the light of the planet and moons. “She has already hurt me before. Do not be so naive to think that she won't do it again. Especially because now she would have more motive than me just being her experiment.”

Zarkon didn't respond, just merely placed his large hands on Shiro's shoulders, running his thumbs over his collarbone. “I know it is fearful. But as long as you are by my side, no harm shall ever beseech you. I will cut down every fool who tries to stand between us.”

“Except Haggar,” Shiro responded, looking away. 

“You know I cannot. She is the rightful Empress. We do not kill our mates, even if we do not care for them any longer. As long as she lives, yes there is a threat to us. But I dare anyone who tries to stand between us. I do not think they will last long.” 

Shiro sighed, then stepped forward to hug Zarkon. He allowed Zarkon to feel how frightened he was of losing him, to feel how much he meant to him. 

“Come now, Shiro. It will be okay. You're the mighty Champion. You fear nothing.”

“I fear losing you!” He confessed, voice barely a whisper. “I fear that one day I'll die and that will be it. I fear that I can't love you like you're supposed to be loved because I'm broken. I fear coming apart at the seams. I fear-”

“Sh, sh, sh,” Zarkon cradled Shiro’s face, carefully wiping the tears that Shiro didn't remember falling. “If you break, I will be here until you put yourself back together. If you fall, I shall catch you. You already love me even though when you first came here you thought me a monster. You love me more than I deserve. You, however, deserve to be treated like royalty. You deserve your own stars, moon, your own planet. You deserve to travel across the galaxies and never fear for your life ever again.”

“Let's do it then. Let's leave and just travel across everything. We can try new foods, discover new things, find ourselves in a place so far from this life.” Shiro looked up at him with hopeful eyes. He knew it was a long shot but it was worth a try. “Let's leave this war and go live our lives together.”

“Shiro… I must stay. I must lead my people. Lotor has done too much damage-”

“Then let the witch hunt him down! Let her have him and do what she'd like.”

“If I do that I would be putting a bounty on your head.”

Shiro froze in his tracks, face going white. He hadn't thought about that. He hadn't thought about the fact that his relationship with Zarkon as dangerous as it was, was keeping him alive. He pulled away, walking towards the bed before sitting down. 

“Believe me, I would love nothing more than to take you away from this place and travel with you everywhere you wished to go. Nothing would bring me greater joy than that. But we cannot. This is the only way to keep you safe.” Zarkon took Shiro’s hand gently in his own, the size dwarfing it in comparison. “You are the most important thing in my life,  _ Craili _ . I would do anything you asked if it pleased you and it were within my power. But I must keep you safe. I cannot lose you. Not after all we've been through.” He spoke in a low rumble, so soft and reserved. 

Shiro reached up, placing his free hand in the side of Zarkon’s face as he moved to his knees in order to kiss him. Zarkon let go of his hand so he could pull Shiro into his lap, leaning into the kisses that quickly turned into a makeout session for a few minutes before Shiro pulled away to press his forehead against the other’s, breathing in his air, his scent, encompassing himself in Zarkon’s presence like it was the last time he'd ever see him. 

“You are immaculate,” Zarkon said after a few moments of silence. “The amount of things I wish I could do to ease the burden that lays upon your heart and shoulders.”

“I'll be okay, Emperor of my heart. As long as I am by your side, I know everything will be okay. And I won't let anything or anyone stand between us.” He kissed him again. 

Zarkon pulled him close as he leaned back into bed. Due to his large size, Shiro could lay atop Zarkon comfortably, his ear listening so Zarkon’s hearts thump softly in his chest as Zakon’s fingers ran little trails up and down his back. 

“Once the war is done, we will travel.” Zarkon said definitively. 

“I'm holding you to that.”


End file.
